86 | ARCHITECTURE Respond Architects Stephenson & Turner (S&T) Building Services Engineering are all about creating buildings to meet the needs of the people who live and work in them. S&T’s team of Engineers work closely with Architects to creatively apply scientific principles to a building’s design. Without compromising the design aesthetic, S&T Engineers incorporate safety, efficiency, comfort and sustainability into every project they work on. Having operated in the New Zealand market for over 60 years, S&T’s team of dependable Building Services Engineers have a breadth of experience across a wide range of sectors and continue to remain current in developments in the services infrastructure. • HVAC (Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning) • Electrical (Power, Lighting & Ancillary Services) • Hydraulics (Plumbing & Drainage) • Building Performance (Environmentally Sustainable Design) • Fire (Engineering & Protection) Level 8, 5-7 Byron Ave, Takapuna 021 161 4461 Mona.Aziz@stakld.co.nz www.stakld.co.nz Key role in school upgrade The Somerville Intermediate School remediation project was a finalist in the Collaboration Under $20m category, recognising the combined efforts of Respond Architects, Rubix, Form Building & Developments and Kingstons. T T Anne Boswell A project embodying the true meaning of collaboration has been recognised at the Building People Awards 2026, which celebrates the people, projects and achievements shaping Aotearoa New Zealand’s building and construction sector. The Somerville Intermediate School remediation project was a finalist in the Collaboration Under $20m category, recognising the combined efforts of Respond Architects, Rubix, Form Building & Developments and Kingstons. “The team collaboration on this project was massive and it was genuine, which is not something you experience on every project,” Respond Architects director Natasha Cockerell says. “While the award nomination was fantastic, at the end of the day the most important thing is that we met the client’s brief: happy students and a happy school.” Led by the Ministry of Education, the Somerville Intermediate project saw the comprehensive remediation of the school’s main block, which houses administration, the library, performing arts facilities and 22 teaching spaces. The work addressed longstanding weathertightness, durability and structural issues, while improving thermal performance and safety, and extending the building’s useful life. One of the biggest challenges was keeping the school fully operational throughout construction. To facilitate this, the project was divided into seven carefully managed stages, with school holidays providing critical windows for disruptive work. Strict handover deadlines ensured spaces were ready before students returned, while secure hoardings, controlled access routes and a dedicated over-roof pathway enabled contractors and materials to move safely around the site. When unexpected issues emerged, including corroded structural steel and deficiencies in the original construction, the wider team worked ahead to investigate hidden conditions early. Respond, Form, Rubix and specialist consultants tested ideas on-site, developed mock-ups and resolved complex details collaboratively, with the resulting solutions meeting technical requirements with durable, practical and efficient construction. Despite the scale and complexity of the work, the project was completed three weeks ahead of schedule and under budget. Already, the school is reporting that classrooms that previously recorded temperatures as low as 11°C in cooler months can now reach up to 18°C without heating. As the architectural arm of multidisciplinary property and construction consultancy, Prendos, Respond Architects is celebrating 10 years in business in November. The wider company has more than 35 years of experience across engineering, building and related services. The practice has a strong connection to Auckland’s North Shore, working across education, residential, multi-unit developments, light commercial, local government and largescale building remediation. Rather than pursuing a signature architectural style, Natasha says Respond puts the client at the centre of its work. “We believe the thinking and creativity of the design process should be a response to the existing site and buildings, and the client, rather than an external creative process.”
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDc2Mzg=